Chapter 168: The Painful Climb.

“Ah—I can’t go any farther!”

Budno sprawled over a rock, tongue hanging out as he panted like a lapdog.

So tired, so tired, so tired...

That single word repeated endlessly through his mind.

His legs no longer seemed to belong to him, and sweat had soaked every inch of his body. These clothes made from ordinary fabric simply could not compare with Fairy clothing. The more sweat they absorbed, the heavier they became, making the climb even harder.

Boohoo...

Fairies were accustomed to flying everywhere on their wings and had neglected to train their legs. After spending half the day climbing, they had already reached their limits.

Disio, Angel, and Amanda also dropped heavily onto the ground. Their backs and waists ached from exhaustion, and they were breathing too rapidly to speak.

Shu Li and Kumandi were in better shape. Although they were tired, they still had strength to spare.

Shu Li had climbed mountains twice with Ilio and knew how grueling the process could be. He had begun physical training at the age of ten, and eight years of practice had yielded remarkable results. Crossing the entire mountain range would pose no problem for him.

Kumandi was ten years older than the others and had studied physical combat for several additional years. Ever since deciding to travel to the continent ahead of schedule, he had deliberately intensified his leg training. His physical condition was undoubtedly the best in the entire party.

“Keep going,” he said solemnly. “If you sit down now, your bodies will grow sluggish and all your effort so far will be wasted.”

Shu Li wiped away his sweat and glanced at the sun overhead. “We have to reach the summit by noon. Then we can eat something, drink some water, and replenish our strength.”

The first time he climbed a mountain, he had been just like his companions. Halfway up, he had collapsed on the ground and refused to move, wanting to rest for half an hour. However, Ilio, who usually wore a genial smile, had transformed into a merciless demon king at that moment. Not only had he heartlessly rejected Shu Li’s request, but he had even begun mocking him, provoking him into a fury.

Determined not to let that hateful Ilio look down on him, Shu Li had gritted his teeth and persevered.

Why did they have to reach the summit at noon?

Because noon was the warmest time of day, and the heat would help offset the cold at the summit. Otherwise, once the sun set and the temperature dropped, crossing the mountain would become even more difficult.

Encouraged by Shu Li, his companions forced themselves back to their feet one after another and continued onward.

Although their pace slowed considerably, their unrelenting effort allowed them to reach the summit successfully at noon.

Shu Li led them familiarly to a cave sheltered from the wind. Once inside, he used fire magic to ignite the bundle of firewood they had collected along the way.

With the fire burning, the temperature in the cave rose several degrees, and sensation finally returned to their freezing limbs.

Shu Li took a kettle from his storage ring, gathered the water elements, and filled it with water. Then he suspended it from a frame made of branches and heated it over the fire.

Drinking hot water would not only warm their bodies but also quench their thirst quickly.

“When Sperien told us his stories before, I never imagined climbing a mountain would be this difficult,” Disio said ruefully.

During their storytelling gatherings, Sperien had discussed only the important parts. Trivial matters like climbing mountains had usually been glossed over in a single sentence. Whenever they listened to his stories, they had focused only on the interesting parts and completely ignored such details.

Now they had left the Faerie Forest in high spirits, ready to make their mark on the outside world, only to be thwarted by their very first mountain.

Budno pulled his hooded cloak tightly around himself and warmed his hands before the fire. “When we return to the forest and hold our own storytelling gathering, I’m definitely going to emphasize how grueling the climb was.”

Angel took out a plate of kuku fruit and offered it to everyone. “Our training simply isn’t good enough. Sperien and Kumandi haven’t complained about being tired even once.”

Disio picked up a fruit, stuffed it into his mouth, and said indistinctly, “Angel’s right! We have to improve our strength as quickly as possible. We can’t hold everyone back.”

“Come on, let’s eat! We’ll need full stomachs before we embark on the road to our doom.” Budno took out the provisions he had brought and shared them with everyone.

At the ominous phrasing, several dark lines seemed to slide down Shu Li’s forehead.

Kumandi said gravely, “Climbing this mountain is only the beginning of our training. Many more hardships await us, and we must overcome every one of them.”

Budno raised his hand and swore, “I’ll never complain about being tired again.”

Disio and Angel raised their hands and made the same promise.

In the corner, Amanda had his back to them as he quietly gnawed on raw meat. Turning his head, he added, “Me too!”

Shu Li high-fived them one after another and praised them. “You’re all brave young Fairies... and one brave little dragon!”

“Hehehe—” His companions laughed happily.

The young Fairies ate fruit and wheat cakes with warm water, enjoying a simple but filling meal. Amanda devoured two foot-long sea fish and still seemed unsatisfied.

After tidying everything away, they resumed their journey.

Descending was far easier than climbing, and their speed doubled. When the sun moved west and sank behind the opposite side of the mountain, Team Light finally reached the foot of the range.

“Whoa! We did it!”

The boys cheered, their heads drenched in sweat.

Shu Li turned to gaze at the towering mountains. He could not help remembering how, eight years ago, he had collapsed from exhaustion on Ilio’s back and fallen so deeply asleep that he had not even realized they had boarded a traveling performance troupe’s carriage.

Today, relying on his own strength, he had crossed that immense mountain alongside his companions.

Kumandi took out the map and checked their present location as well as their next destination.

They had deliberately chosen to descend at a place with no nearby villages, in case they encountered humans as soon as they came down from the mountain. The nearest town was at least a hundred kilometers away. They could never reach it before dark.

There were no villages nearby, only dense woodland and wilderness. It appeared they would be sleeping outdoors tonight.

“Sperien, we should get moving,” Kumandi said, putting away the map and reminding the jubilant boys of their situation.

“All right!” Shu Li cleared his throat and addressed the members of Team Light solemnly. “We are about to enter the Human World. From this moment onward, we must follow human customs as closely as possible. Remember: never flaunt your wealth, never display your prosperity, and never let your expression betray your thoughts.”

“Yes, Captain!” the boys replied in unison, their eyes shining with energy.

After discussing the matter with Kumandi, Shu Li decided that they would camp in the woods that night. First, however, they needed to put some distance between themselves and the mountains. They would travel ten kilometers northeast before looking for a suitable campsite.

The other members raised no objections. Once they had reorganized their belongings, they officially set out.

The woods at the foot of the mountains were dense and overgrown with weeds, making travel difficult. Fortunately, the Fairies had been active in forests since childhood, so moving through the trees posed no problem for them.

They leaped nimbly from branch to branch and advanced with effortless ease. Amanda, the only dragon among them, appeared rather clumsy by comparison. Several times, he misplaced his footing and fell to the ground.

“Hahaha! Amanda, can you actually manage this?” Disio crouched on a branch and looked down at the dragon sprawled flat on his back in the grass.

Amanda’s face flushed bright red. “O-Of course I can!”

Dragons had thick skin and tough bodies. Falling from a tree felt no worse than a scratch and did not hurt him at all.

He scrambled to his feet, leaped into the air, and caught the lowest branch. Swinging himself forcefully, he flipped onto a higher branch and struggled to maintain his balance.

Dragon Island had forests as well, but they were hunting grounds for the Dragon Clan.

There was no need to climb trees while hunting. Dragons merely assumed their true forms and fought magical beasts directly.

Amanda watched the Fairies leaping through the trees ahead of him and clenched his fists, his competitive spirit igniting. With a loud shout, he pushed off hard with both feet and sprang forward, doing his utmost to catch up.

Hearing his cry, Shu Li glanced back. The dragon boy with dyed black hair was now darting rapidly through the branches without falling again.

Not bad. He was improving.

Shu Li looked thoroughly gratified.

Before they left, Harmon had told him that Amanda was somewhat delicate and asked Shu Li, as captain, to be patient with him. However, Shu Li thought Harmon had underestimated his younger brother.

Thirteen years ago, Amanda had still been a weak little dragon. Pirates had captured him and imprisoned him in a cage below deck. If he had truly been delicate, he would have surrendered long before they found him. Yet when they discovered him, the little dragon had been covered in wounds and remained wary of everyone around him.

Shu Li believed Amanda was a stubborn little dragon. Whenever he faced hardship alone, he would inevitably straighten his back and endure it bravely.

Just as he was doing now. He had fallen repeatedly without uttering a single complaint, simply getting back up and continuing onward.

Shu Li did not stop to wait. He trusted Amanda to catch up.

The sun set, and night descended completely. Team Light finally came to a halt. They found a large tree, cleared the grass beneath it, and began setting up camp.

Disio and Budno went to gather dry firewood. Angel and Kumandi erected the tents where they would sleep. Amanda searched for stones with which to build a cooking hearth, while Shu Li scattered insect-repelling powder around the perimeter of their campsite.

Half an hour later, they had lit a campfire, pitched the tents, boiled water, and begun eating dinner.

Their meal still consisted of the fruit and dry provisions they had brought. They drank warm water and ate with great relish.

They had yet to enter a densely populated town, and there were no outsiders in their party, so they did not need to conceal everything for the time being.

After dinner, they sat around the campfire and talked.

“I wonder where Chris is now?” Disio said.

Chris was a mischievous Fairy who loved playing pranks and often teased newly born Fairy cubs until they wailed. One day, he had gotten into a fight with a Sekern bird that had stolen some fruit. Sperien was dragged into the incident, and as punishment, the adult Fairies kicked Chris out of the forest and sent him to gain experience on the continent.

He had left eighteen years ago, and no one had heard from him since.

“Yeah. He hasn’t even sent us a letter,” Budno said, resting his chin in his hand.

“It probably isn’t easy to send one,” Angel said, shaking his head. Other races were forbidden from entering the Faerie Forest, so the only way to deliver a letter was by entrusting it to a magical bird. However, magical birds from outside the forest would attract the attention of the local magical beasts. If they were not powerful enough, they would simply be delivering themselves as someone’s next meal.

“I hope we run into him while we’re out here,” Shu Li murmured as he gazed into the flames.

In truth, he believed Chris had left the Faerie Forest burdened by guilt. Before departing, Chris had deliberately left a gift outside his door.

That morning, Shu Li had opened the door and been astonished to find a bow and arrows lying on the ground. He had asked everyone about them, but they all claimed not to know anything. It was only later, when Aisha informed the Fairy cubs that Chris had left the Faerie Forest to gain experience on the continent, that Shu Li finally understood.

That exquisite, high-rank bow had been Chris’s apology gift to him.

“Come to think of it, that Sekern bird named Deklet never returned to the Faerie Forest either!” Disio said with a grin.

“That stupid bird must have gotten scared! Hahaha!” Budno chuckled. “If it dares come back, we’ll chop it into eight pieces.”

Angel waved a hand. “It may be horrible, but we can’t kill it.”

Budno stuck out his tongue. “It was only a figure of speech!”

Unless there was absolutely no alternative, Fairies did not kill magical beasts.

“Perhaps Chris has already taught him a lesson,” Shu Li said.

Chris had only just reached adulthood and was at the age when his energy was most abundant. That was why he enjoyed playing pranks and causing trouble everywhere. The stupid bird had made him suffer such an enormous loss, so there was no chance he would let it off.

Fairies were a peace-loving race, but they were also a race that held grudges.

The stupid bird understood that perfectly well. When it realized it had accidentally “abducted” a Fairy cub, it was so terrified that it fled without a trace.

Chris had been seething with anger. The moment he left the Faerie Forest, the first thing he had surely done was hunt down the stupid bird and take his “revenge.”